NORTH STAR SEARCH AND RESCUE CLUB BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I: NAME
§The name of this organization shall be called North Star Search and Rescue.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
§The purposes of this organization is to promote and develop search and rescue capabilities and resources in the Northern Section of Maine, with the idea of SAVING LIVES. It will also provide the needed liaison between the individual member organizations and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, The National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR), and any other similar agencies.
§No part of the net earnings of such activities shall inure to the benefit of any shareholder, member or individual and no substantial part of the activities will include the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation nor will it participate in any such political action. In the event this corporation should become inactive or dissolved, any funds then remaining on hand after payment of legal and proper expenses shall be turned over, in to, without restriction, to a nonprofit cultural activity which is exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and as chosen by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE III: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
§The Board of Directors shall be limited to 7 in number who are to serve for one-year period with the exception of the first year, in which the term may be for a longer term due to the start-up of North Star Search and Rescue. The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers of the Organization and two designates selected by the voting members.
§The Board of Directors shall act on all complaints within 30 days of receipt. If the Board determines that a complaint has merit, it shall notify the member of whom the complaint was made, and the complainant, of the date, time, and place of a review Board meeting where the case will be considered. At that time the Board will hear the member’s defense. After due consideration of all evidence, the Board will dismiss, reprimand, or clear the member of all charges. A report of the decision will be forwarded to the Chief.
§Any member who has been dismissed or suspended by the Board may demand that their case be brought before the next scheduled membership meeting or a special meeting if requested (if a special meeting is requested, the membership must be notified in writing of the reason for this meeting). The decision of the Board will be upheld or overruled by a two-thirds majority of the voting membership present at that meeting. A quorum at this meeting will be two-thirds of the voting membership.
§The election of the board shall be held at the annual meeting of the organization and new elections held on April 1st of the following year, and every year afterwards.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
§Membership shall be open to all individuals 16 years of age and older, and organizations involved in search and rescue operations, or survival organizations, or supporting such operations provided, however, that such organizations or persons meets the standards of membership established by the Board of Directors. Prospective members may apply after attending two meetings. The applicants submit a complete application and possess approval by the ACSAR ( Aroostook County Search and Rescue Organization). To remain a member, one must update one’s application and attend a minimum of six meeting per calendar year.
§This organization shall not discriminate in any manner of the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, or national and ethnic origin in administration of it’s programs.
§Organizational Member: Any volunteer organization or association involved directly in search and rescue or survival activities in the State of Maine which meets (NASAR) unit certification standard and two thirds of whose membership is comprised of Maine residents.
§Individual Member: Any person involved in search, rescue, or survival activities and affiliated with a SAR organization in the State of Maine. Maintain their skills and be available for service when NSSAR’s assistance is requested. Attend 6 monthly meetings and attend more than 2/3 of the scheduled training sessions, unless excused by the team’s Chief or scheduled instructor.
§Associate Member: Any organization, association, or individual involved directly or indirectly inside or outside the State of Maine in search, rescue, or survival activities. An any Organization who wishes to support NSSAR without attending regularly scheduled meetings and / or training activities
§Agency Member: Any designated representative of a federal, state, or local government agency involved directly or indirectly in search, rescue, or survival activities, or emergency services that share the same goals and objectives as (NASAR), (ACSAR). Proof must be shown as to affiliation.
§Probationary Period: This classification includes all members over the age of 18 for their first 6 months of membership. Members who are 16 years of age will be on probation until they turn 18 years old. Probationary members shall:
| A: Work to develop their skills in order to meet the requirements for operational or supporting member. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| B: Attend at least 6 of the regular scheduled meetings and 2/3 of the regularly scheduled training activities, unless excused by the team’s Chief or the scheduled instructor of a training session. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| C. Be evaluated by the Board of Directors at the end of their probationary period and classified as Operational, Supporting, or Associate member. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Suspension of Member:
| A. Any member may be suspended from a mission or training session if that member appears to be under the influence of alcohol and /or drugs, is not properly equipped, fails to follow the limitations set forth in the by-laws, or is physically unable to perform the duties required of him or her. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| B. Any member may be suspended from NSSAR by decision of the Board of Directors for action contrary to NSSAR constitution or by-laws or violation of local, state or federal laws while participating in NSSAR missions or training sessions. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| C. No member shall carry or use firearms while engaged in NSSAR activities, with exception of Law Enforcement Personnel | ||||||||||||||||||||
| D. Under no circumstances will any member publicly discuss any complaint of another NSSAR member, or any confidential NSSAR information. By doing so that member runs the risk of being suspended from the club on recommendation of the Board of Directors. | ||||||||||||||||||||
ARTICLE V: VOTING MEMBER
§A voting member shall be any Organizational and Individual members. They will have the privilege of attending meetings, voting, nominating, resigning, presenting motions, resolutions, or other business. In order to be a voting member each member must have current status with -in the Organization to wit; Dues must be paid up in full for that year. These are to be verified by the Organization Treasurer.
§Each organizational Member shall have a single vote and the Individuals, collectively shall have a single vote.
ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS
§Only voting members may fill elected positions in North Star Search And Rescue.
§The officer to serve a One year term to coincide with the election of the Board of Directors. Such election will take immediate effect from the date of the first meeting until the following year.
§The officers of North Star Search And Rescue shall be:
| A. Chief; with assumed rank of Major. He/She shall preside at all the meetings of the Directors and in his/her absence an Assistant Chief will preside. He/She shall sign all papers of the corporation and perform such other duties as the Chief may, from time to time, prescribe. Only the Treasurer and Financial Officer may sign the NS-SAR checks. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| B. Assistant Chief; with an assumed rank of Captain. He/She shall preside, in the absence of the Chief, and in general performs any duties that the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| C. Treasurer; with an assumed rank of Sargeant. The Treasurer shall pay all bills and be held responsible for all moneys collected on behalf of the Organization. He/She shall present a financial report at each meeting and an annual report to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting. The Treasurer shall have authority along with the financial Officer to sign all checks, there shall be two signatures on all checks before the Treasurer can issue or pay any bills for the Organization. Before any bills are paid it will be brought up before the general membership and only with a majority vote by the membership at a regular business meeting. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Actively seeks donations, conducts fund - raisers, and generates income for NSSAR. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Maintains, advertises, and loans out NSSAR’s books, videos, and other reading materials. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Researches, acquires, inventories, maintains, secures, and reports annually on NSSAR’s equipment. Maintains adequate records of and location of all NSSAR equipment. Learns how to properly operate all NSSAR equipment and trains others in proper use. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D. Field Training Officer (FTO); with assumed rank of Lieutenant Captain He/She shall be responsible for setting up and installing a yearly training schedule, and setting up an educational program that is offered by the (NASAR), and (MASAR) for the members of this Organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| E. Secretary; with assumed rank of Lieutenant. The secretary shall publish a bi-annual newsletter, prepare advertising, take minutes of all meeting and keep minutes on file for a period of two years, and publish April nominations. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| F. Safety Officer; with assumed rank of Lieutenant. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G. Medical Officer; with an assumed rank of Lieutenant. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| H. Operations Officer; with an assumed rank of Lieutenant Captain. (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. Oversee all NSSAR field operations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. Log people in and out at an incident, track equipment and personnel, and provide liaison with the IC/Overhead Team. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. Be responsible for maintaining, organizing, and inventory of equipment in the club. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. Recommend the purchase of new or replacement equipment. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5. Be responsible for preparing reports on all missions with copies to the Secretary, NSSAR, and the agency requesting call out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I. Appointed Positions: Any officer may appoint an assistant. The following assistant positions are: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Membership/Publicity, Supply Manager, Call - out Person, Librarian, Historian, Fund-raiser, Assistant Trainer, and Internet Manager. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ETHICS: All members of NSSAR must abide to certain ethical standards.
These include but are not limited to:
| A. Maintaining confidentiality of restricted information during and after a search. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| B. Treating the subject and the subject’s relatives and friends with respect. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| C. Treating other members and other SAR workers with respect. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| D. Performing medical treatment to only the level of your training. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| E. Abiding to directives given by Search Manager, and or law-enforcement officer on-scene. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| F. Respecting the property in/on which the NSSAR is operating. | ||||||||||||||||||||
ARTICLE VII: SPECIAL MEETINGS
§Special meetings may be determined by the Chief, Assistant Chief and the Board of Directors. All special meeting will be type-written and handed/mailed to all active voting members 14 days prior to the special meeting.
ARTICLE VIII: DUES
§Effective on the election of the Board of Directors, dues will be established as recommended by the Board of Directors and voted upon by the members, payable annually. In the event that a member request a leave of absence, it is still the responsibility of said member to maintain a current status with respect to his/her dues. If any team member fails to discharge his dues obligation for a period of (6) months or more, a reevaluation of his intentions towards the organization will be made at that time by the Board of Directors, and recommendations made by them, to the membership body.
ARTICLE IX: LEGAL COUNSEL
§This Organization shall have an attorney on retainer for one year, the attorney will be picked by two thirds majority vote of present members, and will be reevaluated each year afterwards.
ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS
§These bylaws may be amended at any meeting, by a majority vote of the membership present at that meeting. All proposed amendments must be distributed to the membership 14 days prior to the day it is to be voted on. These bylaws follow the guidelines set forth in the (Robert’s Rule of Order), therefore must follow the rules of the order in the need of amending these bylaws.
Such amendments be distributed to the membership thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.
ARTICLE IX: VACANCIES
§Vacancies are to be filled by election of members for the non-expired term except for a vacancy in the office of Chief. The Chief vacancy shall be filled by the Assistant Chief.
ARTICLE XII: NSSAR EQUIPMENT, TRAINING & EDUCATION POLICY
| A. Purchase of any equipment in excess of $ 150.00 with NSSAR funds must first be approved by the membership. Equipment must be of nature to improve or support the NSSAR functions. Equipment will be stored at a place designated by the Operations Officers. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| B. NSSAR equipment will not be loaned to private or commercial parties without prior approval of the membership. NSSAR equipment will not be available to members for recreational use. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| C. NSSAR will pay one half of the cost ( up to $ 150.00) of tuition to any operational or supporting member for training revelant to the activities and goals of NSSAR, subject to approval by the membership. Request for financial aid should be made to the Finacial Officer one month before payment of tuition is due. | ||||||||||||||||||||
NS-SAR bylaws As made October 8th, 1998 Adopted On: Date, November 8th, 1998 Chief: Randolph S. Michaud Assistant Chief James Michaud Sr. Financial Officer: Zane A. Grant